6 Journal Writing Prompts to Improve Your Menstrual Phase

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If you were to do an internet search on "menstrual phase", most of the images that show up would be of women in pain and the information is surrounded around how to offset menstrual cramps.

As a Balanced Bombshell, you view your menstrual phase in a more positive light.

Our menstrual phase is a time of reflection and renewal. It makes sense because when we menstruate, we physically release old blood to welcome the new. Meaning we can also emotionally let go of anything that no longer serves us to welcome new opportunities in the month ahead.

When I first learned this, I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. It brought more light to how we can use our menstrual week to actually project our life forward.

In the book, Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom by Dr. Christiane Northrup, she discusses a woman's right and left brain hemispheres, and how they become the most aligned during our period. This means when you menstruate, your analytical and creative sides collide.

During your menstrual phase, you analyze your life and ask yourself if you are doing what you want, where you want, and if you enjoy who you're with.

If you don't like what you see, you can become more dissatisfied with your life, or become upset if you haven't taken action on what you truly desire. This overwhelm stems from suppressing your true emotions about your actions and situations all month long.

It can feel like these emotions come out of nowhere, but they don't. They've been under the surface for an entire month and your body uses your period as a way to get you to deal with how you feel. By tuning in and paying attention to your emotions, you will be able to deal with them more effectively.

To improve your menstrual phase and learn how you can use this time of month to direct your actions in the month ahead, here are six journal questions to reflect on. They will help you find more ease within yourself and turn "that time of the month" into a time when you reflect on your life and feel inspired to take action on what you really want.

Keep up with this work each month. Before you know it, it'll become second nature and you'll experience a much calmer and happier period!

Grab your favorite journal and find in a quiet space.

Take as much time as you need to answer these questions:

1. What people/experiences have stressed you out this month? How can you limit your time with them these people, or say no to these experiences?

2. What can you say no to?

3. What do you do because you feel like you have to? Can you pass off or outsource any of these? To whom? Do it now.

4. When you think about what you want to accomplish and who you want to be as a woman, what do you see? In the month ahead, how can you be more like this person?

5. What makes your heart smile (people, fitness, fun activities, trips, places, work)? Schedule something for the upcoming week and make it a new habit to schedule things you love, with people who lift you up. This could be inviting your girlfriend to a workout class and chatting over tea afterwards.

6. Have you been doing too much cardio in an effort to lose weight/de-stress? Drinking too much caffeine or alcohol? Eating foods that aren't right for you? How can you redirect your habits next month?